


Kyle Valenti Appreciation Week

by pastelwitchling



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Kyle Valenti Appreciation Week, Kylex, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 08:47:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23348662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastelwitchling/pseuds/pastelwitchling
Summary: Kyle Valenti Appreciation Week was back in 2019, and I posted the fics on my tumblr, but I'm now posting them here on ao3.
Relationships: Alex Manes & Kyle Valenti, Alex Manes/Kyle Valenti
Comments: 9
Kudos: 54





	1. First Kiss

To the entire ninth grade’s knowledge, Kyle had gotten his first kiss a year ago by a very attractive visiting cheerleader who had moved to another country and couldn’t make it to their school football games anymore. No one thought to question it, but every now and then, his friends would nudge him and ask him what kissing felt like, and Kyle was starting to feel weird about lying.

“Then just tell them the truth,” Alex had said simply as he threw a baseball against their treehouse wall. Kyle caught it. Alex was the only one who knew his secret, because of course he would be. Alex, Kyle knew, was the only one that knew _everything_ there was to know about him. He was pretty sure he knew the same, but sometimes it felt like his friend had a secret of his own, something he didn’t want _anyone_ to know. It stung to not be an exception.

“Are you kidding?” Kyle scoffed. “You have any idea what they’ll do to me if they find out I’ve never had a kiss before? I’ll be the laughing stock of the entire school.”

Kyle threw the ball a little too roughly, and Alex caught it as easily as if Kyle had handed it to him. “I don’t get it. Aren’t these guys supposed to be your friends?”

He squirmed. “They are. But they’re not, you know, like you. They haven’t always been around.”

“So I’m your only friend?”

“No, you’re not my _only_ friend!” Kyle snapped, his cheeks warm. “I’ve just known you the longest, that’s all.”

Alex hummed, throwing the ball again. He was staring at the wall, his eyes unfocused. Kyle had seen him do that a lot recently; lose himself in his thoughts. He wondered what was going on through his friend’s head, but knew better than to ask. Alex always seemed to get so sad and scared when Kyle asked, and while Kyle wanted nothing more than to reassure Alex that whatever was bothering him, he would stick by him throughout it, the words never seemed to leave his lips.

“You’re awesome, Kyle,” Alex suddenly said, and Kyle paused before throwing the baseball. Alex seemed to blink out of whatever trance he was in. “Your teammates aren’t going to care if you’ve never kissed anyone.”

Kyle rubbed his chest. It felt weird.

“Says you,” he said, surprised at the steadiness of his own voice. “You don’t know these guys.”

“I know you,” Alex said. “You’re too brave to keep lying.”

“You ever think I’m not brave at all, and you’ve just talked yourself into believing I am?”

Alex shrugged, as if the thought had honestly never crossed his mind. “No.”

His heart jumped again, and he cleared his throat. He should tell his dad about seeing a doctor. Maybe there was something wrong with him. “I can’t, Alex, I just – I can’t.”

“Oh, brother,” Alex rolled his eyes, turning to lay flat on his back. “I don’t think I could do it. Hide who I am like that.”

“It’s pretty easy, actually,” Kyle muttered, rolling the baseball in his hands. He glanced at Alex’s hair, the way his eyes searched the ceiling as if reading a story written across the wooden boards. _What’s he thinking about?_ Kyle wondered, then realized he shouldn’t care so much about what was going through his male friend’s head. He shouldn’t.

But he did.

“Is that why you’re beating yourself up about not having a first kiss?”

Kyle looked away. “You don’t have one either.”

“I’m not the one who cares so much, Kyle.”

Kyle tapped the ball, glancing at Alex, then the window, then Alex again. He swallowed.

“Hey,” he said. “You mean that? About not caring?”

“A first kiss is just a kiss,” Alex said with a shrug. “Who cares who it’s with?”

He stared. “You don’t want to kiss a girl?”

Alex said nothing a moment, then, “I don’t know, I’ve never been that excited about it. I guess I just really don’t care.”

And Kyle could _feel_ Alex hold his breath, as if he’d just given away some big secret. Kyle tried to understand it, to hear what his best friend was telling him, but if there _was_ a secret message in there somewhere, maybe Kyle was just too dumb to get it. Being an A student, it turned out, helped him very little in understanding Alex Manes.

Kyle followed his arms, his legs, the way his soft dark hair touched the floorboards. His heart was hammering, and he didn’t know _why_. It was as if his next words, his next _actions_ , were guided by something else, something more powerful than him.

“Hey,” he breathed. “Don’t kill me, okay?”

Alex lifted his head, his brow raised at him, but Kyle had already let the baseball fall out of his hands, and was moving towards him.

“K-Kyle?” Alex’s eyes widened as Kyle hovered over him, his arms braced on either side of Alex’s head, caging him in.

Kyle knew this was a bad idea, that it could end horribly, that he could very well lose the only person that ever meant anything to him. But he _wanted_ to do it so badly.

Closing his eyes, Kyle pressed his lips to Alex’s. He felt his best friend gasp against his mouth, but he moved his lips as he’d seen guys on TV do, and for a horrible, gut-wrenching moment, Alex did not respond. Then he felt his friend’s lips move against his own, and Kyle _melted_. He put one hand in Alex’s hair, felt the soft locks through his fingers, his other hand coming to Alex’s jaw. Alex, it seemed, did not know what to do with his hands, so he carefully put them on Kyle’s waist.

Kyle counted the seconds in his head until he forgot to count, and he realized that it was Alex. It always had to be _Alex_ who gave him his first kiss, because no one mattered as much as Alex did. Kyle thought that maybe it was Alex who he’d been waiting to kiss, that he had never wanted to kiss anyone else. And his eyes shot open.

He pulled back, his breathing shallow and quick. _No_ , he thought. Alex was a guy, and Kyle was a guy, and guys didn’t want to do that kind of stuff with each other, especially not best friends.

Kyle got to his feet in a second, and Alex sat up, his cheeks flushed, his eyes wide, his fingers touching his lips. “Kyle, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

But Kyle did not answer Alex’s questions. He left the treehouse in a hurry, avoiding Alex’s eyes as he made it down the ladder, his best friend calling his name.

_You’re too brave to keep lying_ , Alex’s words echoed as he ran further and further away from the treehouse. From Alex. Kyle covered his ears. He had _told_ Alex he was wrong. He had warned him.


	2. Rest after a Long Day

Kyle’s entire body ached. He had not been prepared for the particularly long surgery that had suddenly come in today, but even if he _had_ , standing for nine hours with your head down and your hands incredibly still would not have been any easier. Now he could barely feel his legs, and the muscles in his arms throbbed painfully. He could’ve gone to his own home, but after the day he’d had, he had found he wanted nothing more than to come see Alex.

He had been worried about crossing whatever line was still between them, the one that brought their bodies together but never quite allowed their lips to touch, and he knew that if he pushed too hard, Alex would withdraw from him, and he didn’t think he could handle that. But as soon as Alex had picked up the phone, he’d sensed the fatigue in Kyle’s voice. Kyle had taken his chance and asked if he could spend the night, and Alex had said he could with that flustered tone in his voice that Kyle was growing to find cuter and cuter, and maybe back in the day, he would’ve been worried about that, but not anymore. Now, he called Alex cute whenever he got the chance. Which was pretty often.

The drive was a long one, but the sight of the cabin stirred something warm in Kyle’s chest. The silence around them, save for the rustling of the leaves in the wind, the warm glow of light escaping from the windows, and as Alex opened the front door, the smell of hot chicken soup wafting throughout the cabin – it all reminded Kyle of something out of a storybook his father used to read him; a house with warm rugs on the floor, and a pot on the stove, and a great love at the door, welcoming him home.

Kyle found the thought of a great love not so intimidating as he took his shoes off by the door, greeting Alex by casually ruffling his hair, though he felt he wanted more than that in that particular moment.

“I’m exhausted,” he said as he plopped down on the couch.

“I can tell,” Alex said. “I’m making dinner.”

“Anything I can help with?”

Alex scoffed. “No offense, but you seem a little useless right now.”

“I really am,” he groaned, and Alex chuckled. He lifted his head off the couch cushion. “What’s that running water sound, it’s not raining?”

“I drew you a bath,” Alex said as casually as if he was saying he got a new rug. He went into the kitchen to check on his soup, and Kyle stared after him with wide eyes. When Alex realized he was being watched, he raised a brow at Kyle, and took one earphone out. “Sorry, I thought it would help you feel better. Did you not want me to?”

Kyle slumped against the couch. “I love you.”

Alex stopped stirring, his brows furrowing as he took his other earphone out. “W-what?”

Kyle stared a moment, then cleared his throat and stood. “I said ‘thanks.’ I’m going to go fall asleep in the bathtub.”

“Don’t fall asleep in the bathtub,” Alex said calmly as he returned to his soup.

Kyle was _totally_ falling asleep in the bathtub. As soon as he’d stepped in, the hot water had sent a comfortable vibration throughout his body, his stiff muscles loosened, and his thoughts of the hospital and surgeries and blood had all vanished to something more peaceful, something nicer.

Being in here, with the smell of lavender growing on the windowsill and muffled David Bowie music playing from the kitchen, Kyle couldn’t help but imagine a life where _this_ was the norm. He and Alex would finish work and come back here, and just be together. They’d cook and listen to music and dance across the living room and watch TV together. They’d curl up under the blanket and wear warm sweaters and Buffy would lay on Alex and nearly crush him, but he wouldn’t admit it, and Kyle would laugh into his hair. Kyle’s eyes fluttered. It should’ve frightened him how easily he could imagine a life with Alex Manes, but it didn’t. It was just exciting.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Alex came in with a few towels in hand. “Sorry,” he said, avoiding Kyle’s gaze. Kyle wished he wouldn’t. “Just needed to put these in here. Dinner’s finished, by the way, so hurry up.”

Kyle groaned, sinking further down into the water. “Can’t we just have dinner in here?”

“You know that water will get cold soon, don’t you?”

He sighed. “Fine, give me a minute then.”

Alex chuckled. “I –” but the airman’s words were cut short as Buffy came running in, and in an effort to avoid hitting her, Alex stepped back, his prosthetic slipping on a puddle of water on the ground, and he stumbled.

“Alex!” Kyle caught him as he came splashing into the tub and onto Kyle’s lap. “Hey,” he said when the water settled. “You okay?”

Alex winced as he raised his arm, the tips of his hair soaked and sticking to his skin. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

“Let me see,” he said, and before Alex could object, he pulled the airman’s sleeve up. His forearm was deeply red from where it had hit the edge of the tub. “Alex, that’s gonna bruise.”

“Seriously, it’s okay, it happens all the time.” He huffed a chuckle at Kyle’s raised brow. “What, you’re surprised that the guy with the _prosthetic leg_ doesn’t have steady feet like he used to?”

Kyle sighed, his hold on Alex’s soaked sweater tightening. “Touché.”

Alex sighed, and moved to stand. “Don’t look at me like that, Buffy, this is all your fault,” he said with no real malice in his voice. “I better go change.”

But when Kyle’s arms around his body wouldn’t let him go, he blinked. “You good –”

“Can I kiss you?” Alex’s eyes widened fractionally. “I mean, this is perfect, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy in my life, and I know that I’m probably just messing it all up by talking, but I really, _really_ want to kiss you, and if you don’t want me to, then we can pretend I never asked, but if you do, then that’d be great, so can I?”

Alex’s hands had been on Kyle’s arm, and after a moment, they tightened. “Uh – s-sure. Yeah, okay.”

Kyle stared. He had not expected Alex to say yes, but since he did…

He brought a hand around the nape of Alex’s neck, and pulled him in, taking the airman’s lips in his. The kiss was slow, and Alex’s lips were even softer and warmer than Kyle had expected them to be. He was careful to keep Alex held above his body as something in his gut turned hotter and hotter. When Alex’s hands came up to Kyle’s jaw, Kyle melted into the kiss, turning his head to deepen it, to taste _more_ of the airman.

When they finally pulled back, their foreheads were pressed together, and for a good moment, Kyle could feel nothing but the heat radiating from the water… or was it from Alex’s skin? Or his own? He didn’t know, didn’t care. All he knew was that he wanted to kiss Alex again, his lips, his hot, rosy cheeks, his bright eyes and long lashes. He leaned forward again, and Buffy suddenly barked, startling them both out of their haze.

He and Alex looked to find the beagle staring at them with her round, dark brown eyes, and they both broke out into laughter. And they laughed and laughed and _laughed_ until their sides hurt, and Kyle helped push Alex out of the tub, heading out himself after the door was closed. As Kyle came out to a set dinner table with Alex in a large sweater and sweatpants, his hair still a little damp with Buffy resting comfortably in front of the fireplace, Kyle thought once again of his fantasy life with Alex. There would also be kissing, he decided with a soft smile. Lots and _lots_ of kissing.


	3. The Death of a Patient

The cool wall pressed roughly against Kyle’s back, and his legs had gone numb from sitting on the hospital floor, but he didn’t care. He didn’t stand. No matter what he did, no matter how high he turned up the music, the earphones’ blast could not erase the echo of screaming and crying of the broken mother when he’d had to tell her that her son would not make it to his big high school basketball game this spring.

Kyle shut his eyes tight, the time of death forever engraved in his mind. His fingers tapped anxiously against his knee as if trying to wipe the blood away. He exhaled deeply, ducking his head between his legs. Then he felt someone sit beside him, and his thoughts stilled.

He looked up, and as he’d suspected – as he’d _hoped_ – there sat Alex Manes, his left knee pulled up to his chest, his right leg stretched out in front of him.

“Hey,” Alex said.

“Hi,” Kyle responded, his voice hoarse from lack of use. “When’d you get here?”

“About a minute ago.” Alex finally turned to him. “You want to talk about it?”

Kyle considered it, his lips pursed as his eyes burned. He shook his head, and Alex nodded, understanding. So they sat in silence for a minute, then one minute turned to five, then twenty, then thirty, and Kyle found himself thinking of Alex. What would’ve happened if the airman had been on that operating table? If Kyle had failed _him_? He wondered who would be here to cry for Alex, who would be here to mourn for him?

Who would curse Kyle out for not being able to save Alex? Kyle thought _he_ would. There was no one that could punish him more than he could punish himself. He wondered whether that boy’s mother was punishing herself or Kyle now. Kyle knew who _he_ was blaming. Who he would always be blaming.

“Alex,” Kyle said.

“Hm?”

“Thanks,” he said. Kyle did not know where the thanks stopped. _Thanks for being my friend. Thanks for forgiving me. Thanks for sitting here._

Alex did not respond. Kyle thought he was okay with that. When this kind of thing happened – and he had been warned from the beginning; it didn’t matter how good you were, it _would_ happen – he used to think of no other remedy but to drink until he forgot who he was supposed to be forgetting.

Now, he wouldn’t have minded if he and Alex just sat here, between these hospital walls, for the entirety of the night. He wouldn’t have minded if he had to crash on Alex’s couch, and listen as the airman thoughtlessly hummed to himself as he typed on his computer (he could always concentrate better with music, Kyle mused briefly). He wouldn’t have even minded if Alex wanted to tell him about Michael Guerin, because at least it would be _Alex_ and he would be _here_.

Before he could help himself, Kyle’s head fell onto Alex’s shoulder, where it – for reasons Kyle could not consider today – always fit so perfectly. He felt Alex shift beside him slightly to make them both more comfortable, and they sat there as the first few tears slid down the bridge of Kyle’s nose.


	4. Dr. McSexy

Kyle had never been comfortable sleeping in his own bed until he had Alex in it. After that, he never wanted to leave.

He rolled them over, his chest against Alex’s, his body between Alex’s legs under the blanket, and Kyle _reveled_ in the airman’s breathy moans, his rosy cheeks turning hotter and hotter with each thrust, his kiss-swollen lips parted with pleasure as Kyle slowly moved in and out. It hadn’t taken much for Kyle to snap. This whole week had been a mess of surgeries and all-nighters and shifts that kept him running from emergency room to operating room to patients’ rooms.

Then he had come home just as Alex was leaving, having dropped by to leave the doctor some rice and stew he’d made. Kyle had long ago given him a key, but it still did something to his heart to see the airman there, in his little space.

Kyle had all but collapsed into his arms, lifting him off the ground, his face buried in Alex’s shoulder. He had thought he could fall asleep right then and there.

Then Alex had whispered in his ear, a chuckle bubbling in his throat, “Looks like Dr. McSexy’s tired.”

And Kyle had lost all coherent thought. Before sleep, he decided, before food, before _anything_ , he needed to pound into Alex. And he did. Against the wall.

Kyle carried him without a thought, with strength he did not know he had, knowing only that he needed to feel more of Alex, he needed the airman to be closer. So he’d pulled Alex’s legs around his waist and thrusted, Alex’s back hitting the wall. Then he had carried Alex to the bedroom, and taken him roughly, then slowly, then _so_ slowly that it started to feel like he wasn’t moving at all. And it killed them both and had them begging for more at the same time.

Kyle sunk as deeply as he could into Alex, taking his time to appreciate Alex’s dark hair (it had gotten longer, Kyle thought with a swell in his chest), the way it curled around his ears, and stuck to the nape of his neck with sweat. Alex’s long lashes that curled against his cheek. Alex’s lips as he roughly bit into the lower one to keep himself from crying out. But Kyle wanted to hear him. He wanted to hear _everything_. He took Alex’s length in his hands, kissing his lips roughly. When he pulled back, Alex was moaning loudly, a sound Kyle wanted to capture and keep with him forever.

“You like being called ‘Dr. McSexy’ that much?” Alex said, amused as he piled rice into a bowl, along the potato stew he’d made. The food had been moved onto the bed, and the tray was tilting, but Kyle found it hard to care when he had Alex, naked and smiling, in his bed, handing him a homemade meal.

Kyle leaned across the tray and kissed Alex’s lips before he took the bowl. “Yes,” he said. “But only when you say it.”

Alex’s grin widened, his cheeks turning redder. Kyle _loved_ that. He loved that he could have that kind of effect on the airman. “Good to know.”

“When’d you have time to do all of this anyway?” Kyle gestured at the food. “I mean, I love you for it, but I don’t want you to put yourself out.”

“If it’s for you, it’s worth it,” Alex said, and raised a brow at Kyle’s stare. “Yeah, I can be romantic, too.”

Kyle smiled, leaning back against his pillows as he took Alex in. In his sheets, the warm glow of the lamplight reflecting against his skin, making him glisten like golden treasure. And he thought double-shifts and the hours on his feet weren’t so bad if he got to come back to this every night; a home that no longer existed without Alex Manes in the center of it.


	5. Badass Kyle Valenti

Kyle slammed his shoulder against the door, but it wouldn’t budge. His arm had gone numb, and he was sure he’d dislocated something by now, but he didn’t care. Alex had spent all his remaining energy getting them both away from Jesse and his soldiers who seemed intent on a plan for each of them. Needless to say, neither of them was willing to play along. Which, in Jesse’s case, usually meant forced participation.

They had escaped, thanks to Alex. But not before Jesse had injected his son – the biggest threat – with barbiturates. The same drug Kyle had used on Jesse, the one that would’ve killed him had he not delivered him to the hospital just in time.

“Stop it,” Alex breathed. He had slid against the wall, his hand over his chest as he struggled to keep his eyes open. “You’re going to break your arm.”

Kyle huffed, feeling no desire to tell Alex that he probably already had broken it. He knelt at Alex’s side. They had had no choice but to run into this room to hide from the soldiers, and the entire facility suddenly went on lockdown. If he didn’t get Alex to a hospital soon…

“Hey,” he mustered the best smile he could which he was sure did not look very convincing. “Hey, buddy, you good?”

Alex huffed a shaky chuckle. “You… you sound… panicked. Do I… look that… that bad?”

Kyle’s smile faltered. He kissed Alex’s forehead roughly. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I’m going to get you out of here.” He gently let go of the airman, and rummaged the shelves of the storage room they were locked in, looking for anything he could use against the door. But it was no use. He wasn’t smart with technology, he couldn’t figure out the mechanics of this damned door, and he didn’t have any powers either.

“Alex, I –” Kyle’s words died in his throat. It was as if he was watching the scene unfold in slow-motion. Alex’s eyes fluttering shut, his body falling limp to the ground, his body twitching as if trying to revive him. Kyle moved before he could realize what he was doing.

“Alex, Alex, come on, wake up,” but no matter how much Kyle shook and _shook_ him, Alex could not listen. This was punishment, Kyle knew it was. Punishment for what he did to Jesse, for the dark road he took, for hurting Alex when they were younger, for _abandoning_ him –

“SHUT UP!” he screamed, covering his ears, pressing his head to Alex’s chest, hoping that the airman’s heartbeat would stay steady, but it wasn’t. It was fading.

None of this was helping, he knew it wasn’t. He had to focus. He wasn’t a mechanic or an alien with powers, he didn’t know how to handle weapons and he couldn’t control anyone’s mind.

But he _was_ a doctor. “Okay,” he panted. “Think, think, _think_. The drug puts you to sleep, affects vital organs, starting with the heart.” With that in mind, Kyle interlocked his fingers over Alex’s chest, and began compressions. “Come on, Valenti, what else have you got? The drug cuts off air supply. He can’t breathe.”

Kyle pinched Alex’s nose, tilted his head back, and slotted their mouths together, breathing into his mouth. Then CPR. Then mouth-to-mouth. Then pressing two fingers to Alex’s wrist, checking his pulse. Then CPR. Kyle felt beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and neck, every muscle in his body ached, and his arm was _definitely_ broken. He grunted as the compressions turned rougher and rougher. He had to be careful not to shatter Alex’s bones, but he couldn’t go any gentler, not with Alex’s heartbeat fading more and more beneath his fingers.

Kyle was going to pass out, but he’d be _damned_ if Alex died because of him. Not Alex. Not before Kyle died. Not before he got to have the life he’d always wanted; surrounded by family, and laughter, and love. Not before he got everything he deserved.

“You’re not done fighting yet,” he panted. “Come on, Alex. _Fight_. FIGHT!”

Right then, the door behind Kyle burst open, and whether it was the soldiers or not, ready to shoot him down, Kyle didn’t care. He couldn’t stop the compressions, not for a second. Someone’s arms came around his shoulders and tried to pull him back, and Kyle was fully ready to fight until he saw Max Evans suddenly kneel at Alex’s side, his hand glowing against Alex’s chest. The person holding onto him, to his surprise, was Liz.

Her wide, glassy eyes were on Alex, her jaw clenched so hard Kyle was sure she would bleed, but he couldn’t think about Liz now. When Alex suddenly sat up, gasping, eyes wide, Kyle thought he could fall against her with relief.

“Kyle –” he looked around. “Where’s –”

“I’m right here,” Kyle said faintly, and all but fell to his knees beside his friend, wiping his bangs out of his eyes. “I’m here, Alex.”

“Alex, you’re so lucky your heart was still beating when we got here,” Max said, looking sick himself.

Liz’s brows furrowed. “That’s what you were doing,” she said to Kyle. “You – you saved him, Kyle.”

But Kyle couldn’t hear her. He pulled Alex against his chest, kissing his forehead, the top of his head, his eyes, his cheeks. He wanted so badly to kiss Alex’s lips, but didn’t want to take away the airman’s air when he just got it back.

“You saved me,” Alex breathed, and Kyle could only hold him tighter. Alex was okay. Alex was breathing, and talking, and still with him. He was okay.

**Author's Note:**

> [my tumblr](https://pastelwitchling.tumblr.com/)


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